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SANDEMANs NEW Europe - Edinburgh

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Edinburgh Darkside Walking Tour: Mysteries, Murder and Legends

Skip-the-Line Edinburgh Castle Walking Tour

Edinburgh: Old Town's Highlights Walking Tour

JK Rowling's Harry Potter Walking Tour in Edinburgh

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

SANDEMANS NEW EUROPE - EDINBURGH: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Sandeman's New Edinburgh Tours

Review Highlights

“ I'm terrible with names, but did my free tour with a Hufflepuff, and my Castle tour with a red-haired Scottish chap. ” in 9 reviews

“ We had the greatest time on the Darkside Walking Tour in old town Edinburgh w/ tour guide, Angus. ” in 3 reviews

“ We went on this tour later in the day, after having an equally excellent experience with Angus on the free and very informative walking tour of Old Town. ” in 4 reviews

Location & Hours

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Edinburgh EH1

United Kingdom

Old Town, Newington

About the Business

Edinburgh Historic Walking Tours …

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Overall rating

As a solo woman in my thirties, I wasn't sure what to expect from this Harry Potter Tour, but it was fun, educational, and inspiring! Jen Cresswell, our tour guide, was engaging, knowledgeable, and her enthusiasm was contagious! There was a good combination of Edinburgh history and Harry Potter/JK Rowling facts. Also, in comparison to other tours, this tour didn't include as much walking. If you have time to kill in Edinburgh, I highly suggest it! You can see some of this tour in my Edinburgh travel YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qLiFyK2xuY&t=7s https://www.neweuropetours.eu/jen-cresswell-booking-page/?fbclid=IwAR3lrnNKoUEZsQ5zgeMjdktXA3VCZxY2W2THGHPej50d7c2-9ihOzwyvrTA

See all photos from Deana Marie L. for Sandeman's New Edinburgh Tours

Our guide Alasdair really made this experience special. He had a way of keeping the entire group engaged while also making it feel like I was just hanging out with a good friend. Without being overly theatrical or dramatic, he exuded both the gravity and humor that these dark stories deserve. He added his own local's touch to make me feel like I was really getting an insider's view of the city. I really appreciated his collection of crazy stories and interesting spaces.

Guide Alasdair describing the view on Calton Hill

I took the Edinburgh dark side tour and it was great! Heard some fascinating stories and learned a lot. The tours are available in multiple languages. It took me up calton hill, the royal mile, some graveyards, and more.

Jen was a great city guide!! So knowledgeable and funny. Thank you for a wonderful introduction to your beautiful city!!

We had the greatest time on the Darkside Walking Tour in old town Edinburgh w/ tour guide, Angus. We had been in Edinburgh for one day, had walked the Royal Mile, toured the Edinburgh Castle, but still didn't feel like we saw much of this great city. We got to see a lot of cool places we wouldn't normally see and view many landmarks that he was able to describe. We met the group at a central location. There were about 15 in the group and it was very easy to hear and understand Angus, who was extremely entertaining. The tour was not too spooky - more fun storytelling. We enjoyed it greatly and would highly recommend to other travelers!

Did the free walking tour with Alastair as the group's guide. He was great - hilarious, friendly, and knowledgeable. The whole tour lasted three hours and you tip whatever you want, so it's definitely worth your money! The tour covers just the Old Town area, but you learn a lot about Edinburgh's history. For Harry Potter fans, the tour also covers pretty much all of the sights/places that were supposedly linked to the creation of Harry Potter. I was planning to do a HP tour (also with Sandeman's) separately, but Alastair was completely honest and said that his tour would cover most of it. I did some Googling and he was right. Would totally recommend for first-time visitors to Edinburgh that are interested in the city's vibrant history!

Awesome free tour of Edinburgh and highly recommend. This is our second tour with this company (we also recently done one in Paris) and they are just great tours generally. Make sure to reserve online and make sure to bring cash for tipping at the end of the tour. Meeting point is outside the Starbucks on the Royal Mile. Make sure to get there 15 minutes or so before the tour is set to start, as tours can fill up. Our guide, Richard James, although Welsh, has been a resident of the area for 10 years and studied British history at university, and was very knowledgable. Just as important, he has a great ability to tell a good tale and keep the attention of a large and a diverse group of English speaking tourists. Remember they work for tips, so tip well if you end up enjoying the tour as much as I did. Would highly recommend!

Can't say enough about how great Paula was as our guide. We had terrific weather, and everyone was in a good mood, and she gave us so much great information. It was just the right pace, and everything was like a story. I wish I had recorded some of them to share with my family. I left a 10 pound tip, hope that was enough?? As an American I struggle with the money. I saw all kinds of things I wanted to see, learned so much, and would definitely do again next place I go. Good for kids, too.

I highly recommend taking Sandeman's free tour of Edinburgh. Our tour guide was Fiona, and she was incredible! She was knowledgeable, funny, and entertaining. I don't want to spoil the fun stories and little surprises (especially for Harry Potter fans) that you get during the tour, but I will say that the overview you get of Old Town, Edinburgh is great. Because it's free, tips are encouraged at the end, and the guides definitely deserve it. This tour was better than some tours that I've paid upfront for. My friends and I loved it so much that we decided to go on the paid castle tour with Sandeman's (25 pounds) later that day. Our guide for this tour was Jen, who was good and informative, but the tour covered less than we expected. During the tour, we just walked around on the grounds of the castle, but it was only after the tour that we got to look around inside the buildings and look at the beautiful view.

I did the free tour with Sandeman as my first thing on the first day I was here. Tour guides are fantastic and work for tips - so they're committed to keeping you engaged and interested throughout, so you will tip them as much as possible by the end to repay their work. The tour spanned ~2.5 hours if I recall right, and covered all of the major sights in Old Town. Fantastic. I loved this free tour so much that I subsequently signed up for the Castle Tour the same afternoon. So much history, but told by such terrifically engaging tour guides. I'm terrible with names, but did my free tour with a Hufflepuff, and my Castle tour with a red-haired Scottish chap. Both fantastic. Would highly recommend doing your city tours with Sandemans and no one else.

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Home / Destinations / Sandemans Edinburgh Tours

Sandemans Edinburgh Tours

Just arrived in Edinburgh and feeling daunted by how much there is to see and do? Not got much time to explore but want to make the most of your trip? Looking for an Edinburgh tour to help you find your feet? Why not try one of the Sandemans New Europe Tours in Edinburgh?

Sandemans Tours include a free walking tour in every city you find them, along with extra tours that have a small fee. The Sandemans Free Walking Tour is a great way to get your bearings in this city which is crammed full of history and sightseeing opportunities. In my mind, the free tour is one of the best walking tours in Edinburgh and I’ve been on it a few times. Here’s a little overview of the Sandeman New Europe tours in the capital of Scotland.

The Sandemans Edinburgh Tours (also known as New Edinburgh Tours) are run by self-employed local guides, so they really know the city. The guides use a mixture of history and storytelling to create an “informal, entertaining and unforgettable tour”. Each guide has their own personal and unique style, so every tour is different.

All Ready For The Free Walking Tour Of Edinburgh

These self-employed guides work for tips, so although it is a free tour, if you feel they have done a good job remember to tip what you can – but the guides will never pressure you for a tip. And if your free tour leaves you wanting more, there are five additional Sandemans Tours in Edinburgh. There is a charge for these extra tours, but they’re a great way to expand on what you were told on the Free Walking Tour.

Here are the different tours that they offer (all information correct at time of writing):

Sandemans Free Walking Tour of Edinburgh

This Edinburgh Free Tour gives you a great base of knowledge of Edinburgh’s’ history and stories, as well as helping to find your bearings in this city filled with windy alleys and shortcuts. Depending on your guide (as each guide will have their own route and stories to tell) you will be told about and see main tourist sites like Greyfriars Bobby , Mercat Cross and the Writers Museum.

You’ll also hear tales of Bodysnatchers and the real Jekyll and Hyde. And for the Harry Potter fans… the ‘original’ Hogwarts and Voldemorts grave. You’ll meander through the old town of Edinburgh, see the Royal Mile, Grass Market and hear stories of William Wallace and the Stone of Destiny. There’s also a great photo opportunity of Edinburgh Castle.

What’s more, the guides will help you after the tour (if you need it). They’ll happily give you tips on where’s good to eat, accommodation and how to get back to areas that you want to explore further or point out other sights that might interest you.

Grave of Greyfriars Bobby On Sandemans Edinburgh Tours  

How Much Do You Tip For A Free Walking Tour?

Although this is a free walking tour of Edinburgh, the guides work for tips. They will not pressure you into this, but if you have enjoyed the tour, out of politeness, you should tip. I usually give £10 for a tour, which seems to be the average. Though if I have really loved the guide and thought they have done an amazing job I will double this if I can.

However, it is completely up to you what you tip on a free walking tour. If you can’t afford a £10 tip, give what you can. Just as long as you give something your guide will know you enjoyed the tour.

Most of the guides won’t look what you give, they will simply pocket what you put in their hand whilst talking to you, or some hold out something for you to drop your tip into without looking. So if you can’t afford as much as you would like to tip, you do not need to be embarrassed. Not only will the guides understand, but they do not look so you don’t have to feel uncomfortable.

Edinburgh Castle Tour

The Edinburgh Castle Tour includes admission to the castle itself and you don’t have to queue. You’ll get loads of history on this tour, learn about kings and queens, the dog graveyard and jewels.

After the tour finishes, you’ll have another 1 ½ hours until the castle shuts, so you can explore more on your own. Which you’ll need if you want to explore some of the museums within the castle walls.

NOTE: There is a Charge for the Edinburgh Castle Tour, which includes the Castle Entry Fee

Explore Edinburgh Castle With Sandemans

Dark Side Tour

The Dark Side Tour with Sandemans covers Edinburgh’s many murderers and monsters. You’ll hear tales of cannibals and vampires, grave robbers and witches, kelpies and selkies to name but a few.

Listen to the tale of the murder of Mary Queen of Scots’ lover and all about Burke and Hare. The Dark Side includes tales of Arthur’s Seat and you will learn about the 17 dolls found there. You can see these dolls in the Museum of Edinburgh , I saw them on my Honeymoon .

For Dickens fans, you may even hear of Scrooge’s grave on this tour.

Note: There is a Charge for the Dark Side Tour you can book this tour here .

Read about my time on the Free and Dark Side Tours in my Day Full Of Tours .

Carlton Hill On The Dark Side Tour

New Town Tour

The New Town Tour takes you back to the time between 1750 and 1850, the Golden era of Enlightenment.

Find out what happened in these 100 years that changed the face of Scotland and the world. During this time Edinburgh was home to many literacy greats and was the birthplace of great inventors. Hear tales of Sir Walter Scott, John Knoxx and the educational revolution.

Note: There is a Charge for the New Town Tour

Harry Potter Tour

It wouldn’t be a trip to Edinburgh without a little Harry Potter Magic. This tour shows you places that inspired J.K. Rowling, from Diagon Alley to Voldemort’s grave. Hear about the origins of Harry Potter and where characters came from.

You’ll also see where the famous author wrote her books. Learn how Edinburgh’s dark history also gave inspiration for the books.

Note: There is a Charge for the Harry Potter Tour

The Original Diagon Alley

Edinburgh Pub Crawl

The Edinburgh Pub Crawl is a cheap way to get a feel for Edinburgh’s nightlife and meet some fun people. You’ll explore watering holes ranging from hidden alley pubs to big clubs. Whatsmore, you get cheap drink deals like ½ price pints as well as a wee dram and 3 shooters being included in the price.

If you love to party, this is the tour for you as if you buy it once you can join again as many times as you like for the whole year. But please remember to drink responsibly, because if the guide feels you have reached your limit you can be cut off from the rest of the tour. The tour aims to show you Edinburgh’s nightlife, not get you legless.

Note: There is a Charge for the Edinburgh Pub Crawl and is for over 18s ONLY

Useful Information For Sandemans Edinburgh Tours

All the Sandemans Edinburgh Tours meet around the same crossroads on the Royal Mile and (very importantly for Scotland) will run whatever the weather. Make sure you’re prepared for the changing weather on the tour as Scottish weather is famous for being unpredictable.

You can either book online (which group bookings of 10 or more must do) or simply turn up about 10-15 minutes before the start of the tour to register/purchase tickets. For tours that have a charge, groups of 10 or more receive a 10% discount.

You Can’t Rally Miss The Meeting Point For Sandemans Edinburgh Tours

The Sandemans Edinburgh Tours are a great way to see the city and learn a lot in a short time. With really helpful and passionate guides, you’ll soon be in love with the city, whichever tour(s) you choose.

Remember the Free Walking Tour is run by self-employed guides, who will not pressure you for tips. But if they’ve done a good job, they deserve a tip.

Want to visit? Take a look at accommodation on  HostelWorld , personally, my favourite hostel in Edinburgh is Castle Rock .

You can also check out more tours in Edinburgh on Get Your Guide .

12 Comments

Edinburgh is my favourite UK city 🙂 I always love a walking tour in a new city, a good way to get to grips with the layout of the place before exploring further on your own.

Edinburgh is my favourite UK city too! So much history there.

This is so interesting, especially the Dark Side Tour! It’s cool how you can see the same city through different lenses/tours. Thanks for sharing!

I’ve done the Dark Side Tour and it is so interesting! Most tour companies in Edinburgh do ghost tours, but I love this one as it tells you about real stuff that happened in Edinburgh. Scary thing one of the stories is quite recent too

This looks like a great tour. I went to Edinburgh university so it was lovely to have a trip down memory lane!

I always wish I’d looked at Edinburgh University after I first went. It’s a beautiful city! Glad you enjoyed the trip down memory lane!

I’ve been to Edinburgh so many times but haven’t gone on a tour of it yet – this one sounds great!

You should definitely take one of the tours, I always find they give a great overview of a city

Oh I can’t wait to get to Edinburgh! Should have been there for Fringe 2020, lets hope we can travel soon!

Oh wow! The Fringe is on my to-do list, it looks amazing. Such a shame you couldn’t go, the pandemic ruined a lot of plans 🙁 Hopefully, we’ll be back to travelling soon! I am hopeful with the jab now out.

I’ve been to Edinburgh, but only shortly. These tours all sound great.

I hope you get to go back and explore Edinburgh fully. Taking the free walking tour gives a great overview of the history of the city 🙂

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Free walking tour with Melanie - SANDEMANs NEW Europe - Edinburgh

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Free walking tour with Melanie

We’d been to Edinburgh plenty of times but had never done a walking tour. This time we had some time, so gave Sandeman's free tour a try. Canadian though she may be, Melanie is a complete natural, perfect for running a tour like this with bags of personality and energy. Full of fascinating info. Any grumbles? The coffee break comes up very near the end of the tour, which did run a bit shorter than the advertised two and a half hours. But we enjoyed it very much, and rewarded Melanie appropriately.

We went on a tour with students from Switzerland. Jane our guide was absolutely great, a real Harry Potter fan and guide! She asked students questions on the story and linked each element with the tour! A must do absolutely !

Tour itself was really great, lots of fun facts and info about JK’s life and impacts made on the books. Tour guide (AD) didn’t have quite the knowledge base of HP I had hoped for- referencing the ‘Magic Ministry’ and when engaging the crowd, didn’t know quite simple things, making one guy repeat a name 3 times while giving him a dumbfounded expression as if the guy had grown three times because he obviously didn’t know this character (it was Parvati Patil). But he had rehearsed what he was trained to say very well and what was said on the tour was very intriguing, so despite the lack of general knowledge one should probably have giving these tours, I’m giving it a 4/5.

Very pleasant tour of the castle with informative guide giving information on the history of the castle.

We are Swiss students and we came to Edinburgh with our school. During this Tour we learned some things about J. K. Rowling and her inspiration in this town. Jane was really interesting by this subject so we liked to listen her. We recommend this Tour.

We are one student group from Switzerland This tour is for fan of Harry Potter and we learn the connect both Edinburgh and J.K Rowling. It’s very interesting.

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Edinburgh walking tour - SANDEMANs NEW Europe - Edinburgh

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Edinburgh walking tour

Brilliant tour guide .. very passionate, wonderful story teller.. I think this is the perfect way to start the trip to Edinburgh.

We’ve done lots of Sandeman’s tours all over Europe but Edinburgh one was definitely one of the best - Niamh our tour guide was fantastic. She was really knowledgeable and told us lots of amazing stories! Highly recommend!

I went with my husband and children. 10/10. Very fun and exciting. Didn't know the murder myseries before head. I am a very happy lady. ( 11/10 by my adult children.)

This tour was the best I highly recommend it, our tour guide was amazing she was funny but we learned a lot with her she gave us great tips about the city and she got into character she was wonderful. I want my parents to visit and I hope she’s their tour guide her name Is NIAMH!

Sarah is an incredible guide who's excellent at storytelling! AND a talented singer! Loved listening to all her stories about Edinburgh and could've listened to her all day. Definitely a must do in Edinburgh!!

The Dark History tour was wonderful! Interesting, entertaining, and with a very enthusiastic guide. Thank you Niamh for being so friendly and accomodating! Niamh really knows her history and made the tour so fun, we were so at ease having a chat with her. We learned a lot about Edinburgh and I love true crime, so it was perfect. I definitely recommend doing this tour as you get to see a lot of sights in one go. If you love a mix of history, sightseeing, true crime and a little horror, this is for you!

Edinburgh Free Walking Tour

The Edinburgh free walking tour by SANDEMANs is a great way to start your trip in Edinburgh and orient yourself to the city and to Scottish history.

I am believing more and more that the very best way to start any trip is with a free walking tour. These tours are offered in many of the world’s top destinations and are a great way to quickly orient yourself to the highlights a city has to offer. Most walking tours do not go inside of the sites, churches, and castles, but rather offer stories and a local’s perspective on what makes the city unique. If you kick off a weekend trip with a free walking tour, then you will be well-equipped to spend the next days getting to know the city in greater detail on your own.

There are many Edinburgh free walking tours to choose from but I was most impressed with the promises claimed by the tour company SANDEMANs, which is a known brand across Europe. As I only had one day to enjoy Edinburgh, I thought it was a good decision to start my morning with their free walking tour and see where that would take me. The experience did not disappoint.

In A Nutshell

Highlights - Very knowledgeable tour guides with a flair for theatrics and a passion for helping you understand Edinburgh and Scotland. Local knowledge quickly orientates you to the city and helps you plan the rest of your trip.

Lowlights - Near the end of the tour there is a “coffee break” at their office where you are encouraged to buy tickets for paid tours. This would feel less scammy if after the coffee break there were another 1+ hours of walking, but there was only an additional 30 minutes or so.

Bottom line - The value for money is undeniable and even the sales pitch to join a paid tour is perfectly appropriate. You can’t blame someone for using a free tour as bait to sell you something which also carries a value. All in all, free walking tours might cost you something, but what you get back in return far exceeds whatever you might pay.

SANDEMANs Walking Tours

There were several tour companies offering free walking tours in Edinburgh but I was drawn to the sleek website and tour descriptions of SANDEMANs. I can’t say that they are  the best since I haven’t compared them to other tour organizers in Edinburgh, but what I can say is that this was not my first free walking tour in Europe and in comparison to others I have taken it was at least equal to or better than any others that I have taken .

There are a wide variety of free and paid tours offered by SANDEMANs in Edinburgh. You can check out the tours and schedules on the SANDEMANs website .

I started my morning with the free walking tour and then I added the Edinburgh Castle tour to the afternoon. For both tours, I had the same guide; a really witty and very smart guy named Dave . I overheard a few other guides introduce themselves and though their dry nature might be preferred by some, I really enjoyed spending the day with Dave. If you get a chance to choose, I vote that you request Dave.

I was really lucky with the weather the day I was in Edinburg but what is good to know is that all of SANDEMANs tours will go on as scheduled rain or shine . The tours meet up on The Royal Mile which is the main street connecting the Edinburgh Castle at one end with the Royal Palace of Holyroodhouse on the other. The street in between is packed with shops and cafes, some of which even offer a discount to SANDEMANs ticket holders.

St Giles’ Cathedral

The first stop on the free walking tour is St Giles’ Cathedral. This +900-year-old cathedral is the seat of the Church of Scotland and is the most important cathedral in the country. As you can see in the photo below, there is a very interesting architectural feature in the steeple, which is shaped like a crown, rather than a point reaching to the heavens above, as is typical in church architecture around the world.

In nearly a millennium of history, you can imagine that St Giles’ Cathedral is tied to plenty of interesting and historically significant events. The one which Dave shared with us as his favorite story is about a street-seller named Jenny Geddes, who, during a religious service, became so upset at the archbishop that she threw her stool (the kind you sit on) at his head. This instantly turned in to a full-blown riot which spread across Scotland. These riots grew to become the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which included the English Civil War.

St Giles’ Cathedral is also considered to be the mother church of Presbyterianism .

The Elephant House

The next few stops constitute a micro-tour inside of the tour. If I had to name it, it would be the Origins of Harry Potter Tour . For Harry Potter fans, the next few sites will carry special significance . Up first: The Elephant House.

Pictured below, The Elephant House is a coffee shop inside of the Harvey’s Furniture Store building. If you look at the photo, the windows just above the building’s sign is the coffee shop. This is where J. K. Rowling wrote several of the early Harry Potter books.

Where I am standing to take this photo is the Greyfriars Kirkyard, a graveyard where many recognizable names from the novels can be found. But more on that later. First, we have to go to school.

George Heriot’s School

Across the graveyard from The Elephant House stands George Heriot’s School. This private school is 400 years old and was founded to offer a premier education to Scotland’s fatherless children. The castle-like architecture makes it stand out atop this hill which is across a valley from the Edinburgh Castle.

As you can see pictured below, the square building has a tall tower in each corner. These four towers are each the home, or “house,” to a group of pupils. The house names are, Lauriston (green, after the school’s address, Lauriston Place), Greyfriars (white, named after the adjacent Greyfriars Kirk / Graveyard), Raeburn (red, after a famous former pupil, Henry Raeburn), Castle (blue, after Edinburgh Castle to the north).

The combination of this school with the four houses and the dramatic view of the Edinburgh Castle on a cliff across the way, form the basis of J. K. Rowling’s vision for  Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry .

Greyfriars Kirkyard

Turning back now to Greyfriars Kirkyard, this graveyard is home to many familiar names. Both names which hold real historical significance (James Douglas, Sir George McKenzie…) but also many names on these graves inspired characters in Harry Potter . For example, lawyer Thomas Riddell is the inspiration for Voldemort, and poet William McGonagall inspired the character of Professor McGonagall.

So why did these graves inspire these characters? It is simple: graveyards offer authors all around the world with free and easy access to name inspiration for books. It is actually a common practice for authors to take names from graves, just as J. K. Rowling did.

Greyfriars Bobby Memorial Statue

This is the tale of loyalty to the highest degree. Greyfriars Bobby was a Skye Terrier which belonged to John Grey, the caretaker of the Greyfriars Kirkyard. John Grey passed away and his dog, Bobby, continued to stay by his human’s grave for the next 14 years, refusing to leave its side for any prolonged period of time. Bobby is now a well-known and well-documented figure in Scotland’s history. There are movies and books which retell the story of Bobby and this statue is a tribute to that loyalty.

On the tour, we learned that the greatest honor a Scot can receive is to have a pub named after them . We saw pubs named after cultural icons, royalty, and politicians. Here, you can see the even Bobby has had this honor.

On another funny note: the graveyard actually has signs now saying that dogs are not allowed . Oh how times change.

National Museum of Scotland

Our walking tour concluded at the National Museum of Scotland. This is a great destination because from here you can check out the museum, which is also free . The museum is divided by era of Scottish history, starting with pre-historical origins, then lots of stuff about Vikings, Roman rule, the independence movement led by William Wallace, and then all the way up to modern-day Scotland with its engineering achievements and most notably, Dolly the Sheep!

Dolly The Sheep

Alright, the whole day has been pretty awesome up until now but this is for me the clear highlight .

Dolly the Sheep is the first mammal to be cloned from an adult somatic cell. She was born in 1996 and is the creation of the University of Edinburgh. This leap in genetics paved the way for other animals to be cloned, including pigs, deer, horses, and bulls. Tonight as I wrote this post, the news broke that two identical long-tailed macaques in China are the first ever primates to be cloned using the technique that created Dolly the sheep.

And who knows, maybe one day I can get a clone of myself to help me write this blog!

On a final note, the guides of this (and all) free walking tours are not paid at all for the tour they provide. They earn money only on tips from tour participants. So if you think the job they did was good, be sure to recognize them for that . Keeping in mind that a normal paid tour costs around 27£, offering a +10£ will go a long way for the guide and is really nothing at all for you as a participant. Be generous!

So what do you think? Have you toured Edinburgh before? Have you been on a walking tour (paid or free) before? How do you think this one measures up? I would love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to leave a comment below or you can reach me directly on Twitter at @judsonlmoore .

Judson L Moore

Travel addict. Ambitious about making the world a better place. Writing what I learn along the way.

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SANDEMANs NEW Europe - Edinburgh

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Edinburgh Darkside Walking Tour: Mysteries, Murder and Legends

Skip-the-Line Edinburgh Castle Walking Tour

Edinburgh: Old Town's Highlights Walking Tour

JK Rowling's Harry Potter Walking Tour in Edinburgh

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

SANDEMANs NEW Europe - Edinburgh - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024) - Tripadvisor

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Edinburgh Dark Side Free Walking Tour

No ghost stories - Edinburgh's true history is scary enough!

ABOUT THE Edinburgh Dark Side Free Walking Tour

Edinburgh has a long and dark history that includes acts like grave robbing, body snatching, serial killers and witch burning. On this 2-hour Dark Side walking tour you will see Edinburgh's shady and wild side as you hear real-life tales of witches, body-snatchers and cannibals. Explore the spots where murders, monsters and mayhem have become things of legend, and visit Old Calton Burial Ground or Canongate Kirkyard, two of Edinburgh’s most chilling cemeteries. 

Your Edinburgh Dark History Tour meets on 130 High Street and finishes on the Royal Mile near the start point or at Canongate Kirkyard.  We never cancel; tours run rain, hail or shine.

Chilling murders

Living in Edinburgh over the past centuries meant looking out for death on every corner. You might be accused of being a witch and being burnt at the stake, or someone might kill you so that they get paid for donating your body to the medical school. There was even the threat of cannibals and vampires to look out for. From the serial killers Burke and Hare, to Calton Hill where the witch burnings took place (today offering some of the best views over Edinburgh), on this 2-hour walking tour, your expert local guide will tell you the grim, scary but most importantly, true stories of life after dark in old Edinburgh.

Even your body wasn’t safe

Your problems didn’t stop once you were dead though, because even your body wasn’t safe. Some Edinburghers took to having cages put over their final resting place, so that their graves weren’t robbed or their bodies weren’t snatched. For those who couldn’t afford this luxury, they would have to hope a family member loved them enough to stand watch over their grave, until their corpse was no longer useful to science. During this walking tour, you’ll visit the Calton Cemetery and the Canongate Kirkyard, and see the mausoleums and caged-in graves that still exist today.

Gratuity-based Free Tour concept

The gratuity-based model of the Free Tour allows guests to support and reward only the highest quality tours, and to ensure that the tour fits within their expectations, and within their budget.

The Edinburgh Dark Side Tour starts on 130 High Street (The Royal Mile), on the corner with Stevenlaw's Close

• Hear about Burke and Hare – the infamous West Port murderers
• Visit the site of the witch burnings, today offering great views over Edinburgh
• Learn about Edinburgh’s real-life cannibals and vampires
• Hear about the murder of Mary Queen of Scot’s husband
• See the efforts to stave off bodysnatchers at Canongate Kirkyard and Calton Cemetery
• Discover the mystery of the 17 doll coffins at Arthur’s Seat

TOUR SCHEDULES

This tour doesn‘t run today

Click on 'See more dates' to check availability

• Local English-speaking guide
• Gratuities for the guide (optional)
• Unfortunately, we do not advise guests in wheelchairs to join the Dark Side Tour due to the narrow stairways and steep hills. We apologise for any inconvenience caused
• All minors must be accompanied by an adult in order to join the tour
• Our business is connecting great guides and smart travelers, and we're proud that so many local guides employ us to welcome travelers like you on their journey through some of the world's best cities. No two tours are alike, and the sites, stories, and length of the tour will vary depending on what your freelance guide decides is best. That's why the tours we promote never get stale or feel scripted, and why both independent guides and savvy travelers prefer SANDEMANs

Customer reviews

Dark Side Tour

The dark side your was a fun way to learn some pretty interesting facts about Edinburgh. Australian David was an awesome guide. He told the stories in funny and engaging ways. You can tell he is very knowledgeable about the area because when someone would ask a question he would answer it and have another fun story to go along with it. We went on three tours through this company on this trip and Australian Dave was our favorite guide by far. His email with recommendations for other things to do on the trip was also incredibly useful. We went to a restaurant he suggested for dinner after the tour and it was the best meal we ate the whole time we were in Scotland.

Dark Side with Sarah

I did the Dark Side tour with Sarah as my tour guide and she was absolutely wonderful! She got so into the stories using different voices for characters and acting them out with her hands. She made an attempt to get to know everyone she was with and gave me some great suggestions of where to go next. She was so enthusiastic and fun!

Dark Side tour with Adam

The Dark Side tour was well worth the money, and we were able to cover a large area in a short amount of time. Adam was our tour guide, and he was without a doubt, the best tour guide I’ve ever had. He’s amazing at engaging the group with captivating storytelling, and was very animated throughout the tour.

Visit the Dark Side with Greg!!

This walking tour was really great and made even better by our guide, Greg! He was the most entertaining guide I've even had, and I've done my share of walking and bike tour in several cities. My friend and I only had one day in Edinburgh and decided to do pretty much all of Sandemans walking tour, the Dark Side one being the last of the day. Needless to say we were exhausted by the time it started. And yet, we had the best time thanks to Greg! Highly recommend!

Fun dark side tour

We booked our tickets for the Dark Side tour in advance and didn't realize how windy and rainy it would be that evening. Our tour guide, Australian David, did a fantastic job leading us through Edinburgh's spooky history. He was a great storyteller and was very engaging. I know that I personally ended up forgetting about the unfortunate weather conditions because the tour was so entertaining. This was a great experience to kick off my first few months in Edinburgh as an exchange student.

What is a gratuity-based Free Tour?

The gratuity-based Free Tour is the best introduction to Edinburgh! A general overview tour including many of the highlights of the city, the Free Tour usually lasts around 2.5 hours and is provided by a local freelance guide in partnership with SANDEMANs NEW Europe, so tour content can vary depending on your guide’s particular area of interest and expertise.

The gratuity-based Free Tour is a walking tour with no need for public transport and is designed for independent travellers, not groups. You can book your spot in advance online or simply show up at the start point on the day. There is no payment necessary at the start of the tour but you are welcome to tip your guide at the end!

We believe in supporting local communities and are committed to giving a voice to some of Edinburgh's best local freelance tour guides, who passionately share the city's history and culture with their own unique and always-entertaining style. They'll never pressure you to tip; we believe that, if money is given, it should be voluntary and in direct proportion to the quality of the tour and the budget of the traveller.

Why join the SANDEMANs FREE Tour?

• Expert local guides
• Theme specific tours
• The Free Tour is guaranteed to fit within your budget
• The guides performing tips-based Free Tours are incentivized to perform every time

WALKING TOURS & ACTIVITIES IN EDINBURGH

• Select Tour
• Private Tour

Free Tour of Edinburgh

Book the original Edinburgh free walking tour and visit many of the city's highlights with a local g ...

Edinburgh Castle Walking Tour

Our top-rated walking tour of the iconic Edinburgh Castle includes skip-the-line entrance

Edinburgh Harry Potter Tour

Discover the magical world of Harry Potter with a walking tour in the city where J.K. Rowling wrote ...

Edinburgh New Town Tour

Travel back in time and discover the history and the people of Edinburgh's New Town

Edinburgh Pub Crawl

Enjoy a great night out in Edinburgh with the SANDEMANs Pub Crawl!

Tell us the landmarks, stories or parts of the city you want to see, how long you have to see them and when you want to go, and we’ll build an itinerary that suits you.

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2-hour Edinburgh Highlights Private Tour

Make the most out of your visit and discover Edinburgh's top attractions with your private tour guid ...

3-hour Edinburgh Private City Tour

Enjoy a comprehensive overview of Edinburgh's fascinating history and must-see sites with your priva ...

Participation in tours promoted by SANDEMANs NEW Europe is strictly on a voluntary basis. Neither SANDEMANs NEW Europe, nor the self-employed freelance guides who are the providers of the tours promoted by SANDEMANs NEW Europe, will be held responsible in any way for injuries to body or property incurred during tours. The tour guides reserve the right to deny participation in any tour, to any person, for any reason. Thank you for your understanding.

Thank you! Your support means more to us than we can express in words. Chris Sandeman and the SANDEMANs Live Community

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